


where the grass grows uphill

by niomei



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Domestic, Fluff, Intimacy, Light Angst, Multi, Protectiveness, Werewolf Changkyun, human hyungwon, theres a scene where it gets a little sad but its okay!!!, this is very. . . hmm. . . domestic id say?, werewolf minhyuk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25248076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niomei/pseuds/niomei
Summary: When Minhyuk first sees Changkyun, he barks.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon & Im Changkyun | I.M, Chae Hyungwon/Lee Minhyuk, Im Changkyun | I.M & Lee Minhyuk
Comments: 14
Kudos: 59





	where the grass grows uphill

**Author's Note:**

> im sort of purging a lot of my drafts rn which is why im pushing so many one shots out kdjfkdhfgkh also im questioning the relationship tagging on this??? pls tell me ur thoughts and whether i should change it or not, im really struggling.
> 
> title from [_What Kind of Times Are These_ by Adrienne Rich](poetryfoundation.org/poems/51092/what-kind-of-times-are-these)

When Minhyuk first sees Changkyun, he barks.

" _Minhyuk_ ," Kihyun mutters, horrified.

"It's okay," Hyungwon insists, taking one hand off of his phone to grip the back of Minhyuk's neck lightly.

Changkyun gives Minhyuk a startled look, but when Minhyuk barks again, much softer, he gives a little confused bark back.

"Good boy," Hyungwon says, petting the nape of Minhyuk's neck. He locks his phone and looks up, giving Changkyun a crooked smile. "Don't mind Minhyuk, he's forgotten how to be polite."

"I _haven't_ , he just startled me," Minhyuk pouts.

"Um," Changkyun mumbles. "Hello."

"You're so fresh," Minhyuk says, slipping away from Hyungwon. "Who let you leave the pack like that?"

"No pack. And I would miss the entry deadline if I waited any longer," Changkyun says anxiously.

"We'll take you running with us," Minhyuk insists.

"You're all. . . ?"

"No," Kihyun says. "Just Minhyuk. Hyungwon and him go every once in a while aside from the full moon."

"We can't let Kihyun go because we'll lose him in the underbrush," Hyungwon laments as he throws an arm around Kihyun's shoulders. "He's too tiny."

Kihyun and Hyungwon immediately begin to squabble, leaving Minhyuk to stare Changkyun down.

"When did you get bit?" Minhyuk asks.

Changkyun lifts his hand to his shoulder nervously, covered by his thick sweater.

"How can you tell I was bitten?" he asks.

"You don't smell settled but of age anyway," Minhyuk explains. "If you were born, you'd have a solid scent; as it is, I don't even think your scent glands have fully developed, huh?"

" 's been 3 months," Changkyun mutters nervously, shrinking when Minhyuk clicks his tongue.

"A pup!" he exclaims. "Oh, this won't do. Won and I will help you."

Hyungwon grabs the back of Minhyuk's neck again when he gets close, thumb gently brushing over a scent gland. Minhyuk's whole body gravitates towards him, and Changkyun's nose twitches. Minhyuk smells like the summer sun bearing down on a damp, dense forest; leaves opening to release plumes of dew into the night; the subtle burn of cinnamon on a fresh churro dipped in chocolate.

"C'mon pup," Hyungwon says, and when he's close enough, Changkyun realizes he smells like Minhyuk too. "We've got dance practice."

The cinnamon is tapered into sugar, Hyungwon's human-ness interfering with the intensity, and Changkyun finds that he appreciates it a little more; his nose hurts from all the new stimulus.

All Changkyun can manage to say is, "Okay."

* * *

Minhyuk's wolf form is all black, but when Hyungwon pets his fur, flashes of silver glimmer from the roots. Changkyun is a little shy about shifting; it still aches, and he wonders every time if he'll ever get used to it. Minhyuk and Hyungwon wait patiently on the side of the dirt path they took into the depths of the closest national park, while Changkyun carefully, painfully shifts into his wolf form. He comes stumbling out, fur a toasted brown at the tips that fade into white, clothes gingerly clamped between his teeth.

"Come here pup," Hyungwon says quietly, low voice pleasant to Changkyun's overly-sensitive ears.

Tonight, he smells _very_ strongly of Minhyuk; Minhyuk spent every moment he could scenting Hyungwon today, to the point that Hyungwon's neck glistened with oil. Hyungwon put up with it fairly calmly, even up to now, where Minhyuk is sniffling into his hair where he towers over him.

Changkyun carefully inches forward, worried about overstepping when Minhyuk had so clearly claimed Hyungwon, but Minhyuk stays calm. When Hyungwon lightly pets Changkyun's snout, Minhyuk even seems to laugh in a little huff. He grabs Changkyun's shirt and jeans, draping them over Minhyuk's clothes on his shoulder.

"Follow Minhyuk," Hyungwon instructs. "He knows his way around here. If you smell other wolves, you go the other way. If you get lost, try and catch Minhyuk's scent; you'll either find him, or you'll find me. I'll be hanging out near the entrance of the trail."

Changkyun listens as well as he can. The moon is only half full, waning for now, so he doesn't feel out of control. Despite that, his youth makes him restless, paws jittering.

"If any other wolf bothers you, come to me," Hyungwon says, but Minhyuk whines in protest. "Minhyuk might get into a fight and we don't need that. _Straight to me_."

Changkyun pushes his nose into Hyungwon's palm in understanding.

"Alright then. Off you two go."

Minhyuk is off like a shot, and Changkyun can't help but follow. Minhyuk is fast, but Changkyun has more energy to burn, his wolf restless as it settles into this new arrangement. They hear a few other wolves howling, but they don't cross paths with any of them.

Changkyun tumbles over himself a few times, still clumsy on 4 legs, and each time Minhyuk helps him back up. He'll rub his jaw lightly across Changkyun's neck in reassurance, and nose lightly at his cheeks when Changkyun feels shy about it.

By the time they make it back to Hyungwon, it's a little past midnight. Hyungwon is lounging in a white gazebo just outside of the treeline, where the path opens up into an otherwise empty field. Minhyuk almost knocks into one of the benches casually littered around in his haste to waddle into the gazebo. He drops at Hyungwon's feet happily, laid out on his stomach while still panting heavily.

"Where's the pup?" Hyungwon asks.

Changkyun climbs up the stairs cautiously and sits next to Minhyuk. Hyungwon pets Changkyun's snout again, despite the inevitable sprinkling of mud on his fur, and Changkyun realizes it's actually. . . pretty nice. It feels like Minhyuk's reassuring prods from earlier.

"Let's hose you two down."

All three make their way back to the parking lot, where Minhyuk's pack's car sits in wait. Where grass meets asphalt, spaced a few yards apart, are water spouts sticking straight out of the ground. A few have green hoses attached, and Hyungwon grabs one. He turns on the faucet, and Changkyun watches him hose Minhyuk down thoroughly; the hoses don't have much pressure to them, but Hyungwon blocks off a section of the opening with his thumb when he needs to aggrieve any stubborn clumps. Minhyuk offers his filthy front paws in a stretch, and Hyungwon wets them, then helps rub off the dirt along with the spray.

When Minhyuk is done, he trots off to the center of the parking lot and shakes off the water as well as he can. Changkyun takes his place in front of Hyungwon, and Hyungwon smiles at him a little. He hums as he helps Changkyun wash off, plucking leaves and twigs from his thick fur. When Changkyun goes to shake off, he's surprised to see Minhyuk back in his human form.

"Shake off and then I'll get you a towel," Minhyuk says from where he's standing beside the car. He's wearing a fresh pair of sweatpants, but he's still shirtless as he scrubs a towel through his hair.

When Changkyun shifts back into human form, Minhyuk immediately wraps him up in a beach towel. Minhyuk runs hot, Changkyun can feel it through the towel, and soon he realizes he’s running hot too. Minhyuk scrubs the water out of Changkyun’s hair, and Hyungwon brings him clothes.

They’re so nice to him, it’s kind of baffling, but he won’t question it.

* * *

Changkyun’s scent glands start to hurt after a while. They’re growing in, according to Minhyuk, and he had warned him that his wrist and neck would start to bruise.

“Scent glands start producing oil about. . . 4 or 5 months in? Because it takes a while for them to grow in. But they’re not actually finished when they start doing that,” Minhyuk says over a _very_ late dinner one night. “So it just starts hurting. They produce too much and strain the whole system. After a few days, scent production slows down and it hurts less.”

“I thought you said you were a born wolf?”

“I am! My family pack has a lot of turned wolves though, so I know what to look for. We take in a lot of people who need help, both wolf and human.”

Changkyun has a bloom of purple on the inside of each of his wrists, which are perpetually slick with scent oil. His scent feels pungent now that he can really smell it-- it’s pleasantly burnt in small doses, like spices and citrus and the heat that rises from pavement in the afternoon-- but he’s fucking _sick_ of smelling it. So is Minhyuk, even though he pretends he isn’t.

Hyungwon is a neutral ground, sort of. Humans can smell it a little, but Hyungwon’s nose is sensitive compared to the rest. It’s not odd; Hyungwon can smell Minhyuk, even when Minhyuk is producing little oil, and he can sometimes tell when there’s other wolves in a room after practice without Minhyuk or Changkyun mentioning it. So he can smell Changkyun just fine, but it doesn’t bother him very much.

He spends a lot of time icing Changkyun’s neck on the first day after his scent presents itself. It helps the swelling, so Changkyun holds an ice pack between his wrists too. Sitting at Hyungwon’s feet, back leaning against the couch where Hyungwon sits above him, is actually kind of. . . comfortable. Despite the stench and aches, Hyungwon is quiet and his hands are kind, so Changkyun doesn’t feel too awful about it. Changkyun buries his nose into Hyungwon’s thigh, sweatpants soft against his cheek.

“I smell. . . so nasty,” Changkyun finally mutters, voice clearly huffy. He sniffs Hyungwon’s pants. “Hm? You don’t smell like Minhyuk today.”

“Minhyuk said he was getting tired of his own scent,” Hyungwon says. “He’s been producing extra scent to compete with you. He can’t help it, and he didn’t want to smell himself on me either.”

“Ahh, he’s usually so protective. . .”

“Mhm. But he’s not unreasonable.”

Changkyun sniffs him again. Hyungwon doesn’t look affected; he lets Changkyun nose at his leg like he’s used to it, just nudging him a little to take off the neck ice packs for a while.

“You smell like. . .” Changkyun whispers, taking a deep breath. “Like something sweet and salty. Caramel-y, if it was in another room.”

“Minhyuk said something similar,” Hyungwon says. “C’mon pup, let's get you showered.”

Hyungwon helps Changkyun tape gauze over his scent glands afterwards, and in the morning they change the now-wet gauze for fresh ones. It helps dampen the smell and keeps the sore spots from brushing against anything.

After a week of growing pains, Minhyuk can stand to be around Changkyun for longer than a few minutes. His scent mellows out into its new average production, and Hyungwon starts to smell like Minhyuk once more.

* * *

Sometimes, Changkyun has nightmares about being bitten. It had been a feral wolf-- someone with no sense of remorse, no sense of care, someone who had bitten down on Changkyun through his clothes and then been tranquilized moments later.

He really hadn't wanted it to ruin his plans. He didn't. He was at Starship anyway, against all reason, and he was fine. Working on it. No reason to think about what he can't control.

Feral wolves usually just wanted to be left alone. Being bitten by one wasn't very common. A statistical outlier. No need to chew it so much.

But it didn't matter how uncommon it was, or how little he tried to ponder on it; it had happened to _him,_ and sometimes it's the only thing he can think about.

Like tonight.

Tonight, Changkyun sits on the floor of the kitchen, legs sprawled as he sips from a water bottle. He's gross. Sweaty. Smells like panic and anger and exhaustion. Smells _sticky_.

Minhyuk peeks around the wall at Changkyun.

"Kyun-ah?" Minhyuk mumbles.

Changkyun grunts softly.

"You smell real bad."

"Yeah."

"Want me to grab Won?"

Changkyun stays silent as Minhyuk disappears into the dark, not even waiting for an answer. He can hear Minhyuk shuffling around, and soon Hyungwon's footsteps join his. Hyungwon sleepily stumbles into the kitchen, the yellow orange lights making his eyes look darker.

Minhyuk gently maneuvers Hyungwon to sit next next to Changkyun, leaning against his left shoulder (the bitten shoulder, the side that throbs when he feel threatened, the side Hyungwon's face nuzzles into gently with his sweet salt scent) before sitting on his right side. Hyungwon yawns into Changkyun's throat, and even with his teeth so close, Changkyun doesn't feel threatened. It's actually kind of cute, thinking that this human could be a threat.

Minhyuk doesn't pull a similar stunt-- wolves don't play with such things as easily as humans do, even one as sweet as Minhyuk-- but instead holds Changkyun's hand.

" 's alright pup," Hyungwon mutters, voice slurry sweet. "Whatever it is, 's alright now. We're here."

And for the first time in over six months after his initial biting, Changkyun cries. Minhyuk croons from deep in his chest, a guttural sound that Changkyun feels in his bones, understands in his hindbrain; it's a comforting sound, gentle like his touch. Hyungwon pets Changkyun's back lightly, otherwise unmoving from where he's plastered against him.

"You'll be okay, pup," Minhyuk promises. "We'll help."

They stayed tucked together for a while longer, half delirious between sleep and tears, and Changkyun believes them. Believes them with everything in him.

* * *

Changkyun would never describe himself as _tactile_. He likes a good hug, likes to roughhouse, but none of it was _necessary_. Jooheon was stickier, and Minhyuk was insatiable with his desire to cuddle everyone, but Changkyun was more reserved.

Hyungwon was too; mostly, he liked to grip the back of Minhyuk's neck, and that was always enough to turn Minhyuk boneless. He never particularly denied touches, but rarely went out of his way to initiate.

Changkyun and Hyungwon functioned well that way. Quiet, separate, settling happily for sitting near each other and never _needing_ to touch.

Which is why Hyungwon is so unsettled when he wakes up to Changkyun wrapped around his back like some kind of doggy octopus.

He's sure he hadn't gone to bed with an Im Changkyun attached to him.

When Hyungwon wiggles out of bed, Changkyun lets out a low whine. Hyungwon carefully presses his thumb to Changkyun's scent gland, the one right under his jaw, and gives it a light rub. Changkyun melts right back into the bed, the endorphins from the touch soothing. His midnight piss is dazed and confused, and when he goes back to bed, Changkyun grabs him all over again.

In the morning, Changkyun is gone-- which makes sense, since it's much harder to wrangle Hyungwon awake than him. When Minhyuk gets to him, munching on a granola bar, he gives a little sniff.

"You smell like pup," Minhyuk teases, passing the remaining half of the bar to Hyungwon.

"He snuck into my bed," Hyungwon mumbles, nibbling sluggishly. Minhyuk hums and starts to tenderly scent him, brushing his cheek across one side of Hyungwon's neck. "Clingy little thing. Dunno why though."

"Maybe he likes you~" Minhyuk goads with a laugh.

"Maybe."

Minhyuk presses a little kiss to the corner of Hyungwon's lip before switching sides. Hyungwon moves his breakfast from one hand to the other, and Minhyuk goes back to work. When he's done, he presses a kiss to the other side of Hyungwon's mouth.

"Finish eating," Minhyuk chides softly, nudging Hyungwon's cheek.

"Almost done."

"Good."

* * *

"Jesus Changkyun," Minhyuk says as he looks through the food in his hands. "Who's that for?"

". . . You and Hyungwon," Changkyun mumbles.

"That's so much!" Minhyuk says with a happy little laugh. "You'll have to eat with us, c'mon."

Minhyuk drags Changkyun with him to a practice room. Hyungwon is stretching, rolling his shoulders and leaning side to side.

"Wonnie~ Kyun-ah brought us food!" Minhyuk cheers as they walk in.

"Thank you," Hyungwon says, smiling at Changkyun through the mirror.

" 's nothing."

They settle on the floor and unpack the honestly unreasonable amount of food. Hyungwon giggles and says, "Full moon hunger?" and Minhyuk gives Changkyun a knowing look.

"Ah, maybe. . ." Changkyun says.

Minhyuk and Hyungwon naturally bounce off of each other, Minhyuk talking a mile a minute and Hyungwon interjecting at just the right moments to make them laugh. Changkyun hesitates, not sure if he wants to break their familiar repertoire, but they fold him in as easily as they've managed with everything else. It's no easy feat helping a clueless, newly turned wolf, though Changkyun tries not to be too intrusive.

_Tries_ being the keyword.

"You're done eating?" Changkyun asks incredulously. Hyungwon huffs at him, and Minhyuk watches curiously, a light tension held across his spine. "Hyung, please eat well, there's more than enough food."

"I don't eat much," Hyungwon says. "My appetite has always been pretty small."

"Hyung--" Changkyun almost whines, offering some food off his own chopsticks.

Minhyuk intercepts, chomping right down on the wood with force so that Changkyun won't be able to pull them out easily. Changkyun gives him a tiny glare but relents, looking back down at his own food.

"Thank you Kyun-ah," Minhyuk says as he chews. Hyungwon huffs and shoves at his shoulder, so he swallows before continuing. "I'm glad you're worried for Hyungwonnie, but this is his normal."

"Sorry hyung."

"It's alright pup," Hyungwon sighs, ruffling Changkyun's hair.

Usually Changkyun would shake his hand off, but he sits still through it without protest. Hyungwon shoots Minhyuk a questioning look, but Minhyuk only smiles disarmingly.

* * *

_This is too much,_ Hyungwon thinks as he feels the growing growl rise through Changkyun's chest. _What the fuck._

"How did your--"

Minhyuk stops dead in his tracks. He stares.

"Changkyun."

Changkyun growls softly. He's pressed against Hyungwon's back, arms tightly wrapped around his middle. He's scrubbing his cheek against Hyungwon's neck nearly aggressively. Hyungwon looks vaguely nauseous.

" _Changkyun_ ," Minhyuk says again, trying to express authority. "Let go."

Changkyun whimpers but holds on even tighter, like he can't even fathom letting Hyungwon go. Hyungwon and Minhyuk share a look, and Hyungwon gently grabs Changkyun's hands. Changkyun tenses, but Hyungwon just holds onto him.

"Kyun-ah," Hyungwon says softly. "What's wrong? You're scaring us a little."

"Y'smell like someone else," Changkyun manages, face buried into Hyungwon's shoulder. "Hate it, hate it."

"Okay," Minhyuk says. "That's okay. Let's scent him, hm? So that he smells normal again. It's alright."

Changkyun hesitates for a second, as if realizing how ridiculous he's being, but Minhyuk steps up and starts scenting the other side of Hyungwon's neck. Hyungwon tries to relax into the familiar feeling-- it’s something they do almost every morning, except for today since Hyungwon had to work with wolf models-- and soon Changkyun starts moving again. Hyungwon mumbles something about wet dog smell and Minhyuk laughs, pressing a kiss to his cheek once he's done.

“Pup’s full moon’s are a little volatile,” Minhyuk says, reaching over to pet Changkyun’s hair back. Changkyun whines but stays stuck on Hyungwon’s neck.

“S’rry,” Changkyun mutters.

Hyungwon wants to shake him off, still vaguely unnerved. Minhyuk starts to purr, and manages to peel Changkyun off of Hyungwon; Changkyun seems happy to huddle into Minhyuk's arms, ears burning red as he hides his face.

"I'm gonna shower," Hyungwon says. _'Talk to him,'_ he mouths at Minhyuk.

"Alright," Minhyuk says with a nod.

Minhyuk's purr starts back up, and persists as Hyungwon disappears further into the dorm. Changkyun shifts restlessly, but doesn't pull away at all.

" _Minhyuk hyung,_ " Changkyun groans miserably, hands gripping Minhyuk's shirt tight.

"Humans are so fragile," Minhyuk says quietly. "Even in human form, I could tear my teeth through Hyungwon's arm; our jaws aren't as psychologically locked as human's are. And our wolf forms are big. We could step all over them."

Changkyun makes a distressed noise, sinking desperately into Minhyuk's chest.

"They're built so silly too. Their noses and eyes and mouths are so _useless;_ sometimes I wonder if they can even defend themselves? Hardly," Minhyuk continues, seemingly ignoring Changkyun. "But that's what makes me want to take care of him even more. Sometimes I can't turn it off, can't stop, and sometimes seeing him even _smile_ at someone else is gut wrenching."

Changkyun tries to pull away, whining, but Minhyuk holds tight; he keeps Changkyun trapped, even as he thrashes. He's speaking gibberish, lisping from the press of his now-sharp teeth against his lips. The looming shadow of the full moon tomorrow makes Minhyuk's control waver, but pups need to have their bad habits nipped in the bud. He reigns in any wildness, any forceful authority his wolf may want to exert over Changkyun, and keeps his voice level and low.

"But pup, you have to control it. You _have_ to. He's no wolf, and you can't treat him like one."

"It's so _hard_."

"I know."

"Every single part of me wants to lay on top of him all the time."

"God, _same_."

"He's just. . . so _human_ ," Changkyun finally says. "So was I a few months ago. I don't know. . . I don't know why it's so--"

"You're not human anymore. Now you're wired differently. And it's okay if it's hard, yeah? Hyungwon isn't like us, so he doesn't always get it, even though he tries; he doesn't know that by making himself part of our lives, we'll do weird things like scent him when he smells like others, or memorably, one time when I trapped him in bed sheets."

Changkyun laughs wetly at that, and the conversation tapers off. Minhyuk pets Changkyun’s hair and eventually shuffles him to bed.

* * *

Changkyun's full moons are still a little painful, but this time, it's less so. As moonrise approaches, he and Minhyuk become slightly feverish and, according to _everyone_ , insufferable.

Minhyuk can't be pried off of Hyungwon, who looks too sleepy to bother, and Changkyun is growling like he's being paid for it. The other wolves are just as irritable, so management has made an effort to separate them into more manageable groups. It's also clear Hyungwon can't really go anywhere without one of them tagging along; they both try to follow him into the bathroom in the morning only to be thoroughly chewed out, ears pinched red.

They return to the forest as the sun starts to drop in the sky, turning the blue into a burning red. Changkyun is restless the whole ride there.

Everything feels normal, if amplified, when they get there. Changkyun feels like he wants to rip off his skin. He shifts under the honey light of sunset, passes his clothes over delicately to Hyungwon, and then it becomes dusk and--

And he blacks out.

Changkyun wakes up, still in his wolf form, curled up in the gazebo Hyungwon had taken up residence in. There's something warm resting against his chest and stomach, and when he looks over, there is Hyungwon, napping right on his tummy. Minhyuk is sprawled out nearby with his head curled into Hyungwon's lap, fur standing on end like he'd let it air dry overnight. Hyungwon must be warm, comfy, because he looks dead to the world. Dawn is barely breaking, but Changkyun is content to lay there and watch them sleep.

He wriggles a little, and Hyungwon's eyes blink open. He stares blearily at Changkyun, and lifts a hand from Minhyuk's fur to pet Changkyun's ear softly. Changkyun practically purrs, curling even closer so Hyungwon doesn't have to reach out too much.

"Wild little puppy," Hyungwon whispers after a while of silence, voice slurred and raspy. "Shot off into the woods like a bullet and Min lost you. But you're a good pup, huh?" and Hyungwon rubs at Changkyun's snout in clumsy, slow, but gentle pats. "Came running right back to me eventually. Good, sweet pup."

Minhyuk huffs, wiggling closer. He opens one eye lazily and looks over at Changkyun. He growls in a friendly but deep tone, and settles back down. With a start, Changkyun realizes that Minhyuk _trusts_ him. It seems obvious-- every day, Minhyuk naps next to Changkyun, and doesn't get nearly as offended as he should when Changkyun scents overpowers his own. They live together, and share this sweet human sandwiched between them, when they should be struggling to get along. Despite the fact that Changkyun is an outsider to what Minhyuk considers his pack, they're _comfortable_ together.

But Minhyuk's wolf is at the forefront today, right after the full moon, and if he had _any_ doubts about Changkyun, they'd have risen by now. He wouldn't let Changkyun stay awake with Hyungwon if he didn't trust him.

Changkyun whines. Hyungwon smiles cutely at the sound.

"Mhm. Good, sweet pup."

**Author's Note:**

> i love this au but im also sick of looking at it in my drafts kjdsjfdlskdl hope u enjoyed tho :)
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/mxniomei) || [tmbl](https://mxniomei.tumblr.com/)


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